Hutson to present 50th Lipsey Lecture at MC

Martha Hutson, the 2026 Lipsey Lecturer at MC, resides in the Lipseys' former house.

Sue Price Lipsey, former English professor at Mississippi Christian University (MC), spent most of her adult life instilling an appreciation for language and literature in her students. Her husband, P.I. Lipsey, longtime professor of history at MC, championed the past, and how societies, institutions and individuals have endured through time.

After 50 years, the Lipsey Lecture Series will explore the work of this beloved couple and how they inspired generations of academics to follow in their legendary footsteps.

Martha Hutson, retired MC professor of history, will present the landmark Sue Price Lipsey Lecture, “The Lipsey Legacy: Lifetimes of Service in the Humanities at MC,” at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10, on the third floor of Alumni Hall on MC’s Clinton campus. The event is free and open to the public. A reception will follow the presentation.

The annual lecture is sponsored by the MC Department of English and World Languages and the MC Department of History and Political Science. The longest continuous lectureship at MC, the Lipsey Lecture promotes scholarship in the field of humanities to stimulate intellectual curiosity and to allow students a glimpse of the academic world outside of MC.

Kristi Melancon, MC professor and chair of English and World Languages, said Hutson, who lives in the Lipseys’ former house, will share historical research on the couple during the presentation.

“Audience members will learn about a piece of Clinton and MC history, have the opportunity to ask further questions of our archivists, and enjoy community during the reception,” Melancon said. “To celebrate MC’s Bicentennial and the rich history of our institution, it seemed appropriate to welcome back Martha to share stories and research about P.I. and Sue Price Lipsey, for whom the lecture is named.

“Martha knows the importance of place and pedagogy; therefore, she is the perfect person to share with us the history of the Lipsey house and the beloved humanities professors that lived there.”

Hutson joined the MC faculty in 2000 after serving 28 years in Mississippi public schools. A graduate of William Carey University, she obtained her master’s from the University of Southern Mississippi and was named Mississippi’s Teacher of the Year for the 1997-98 academic session.

At MC, Hutson taught Mississippi history, U.S. history, introduction to world geography, and teaching methods courses. The National Council for Geography Education recognized her work in the classroom by giving Hutson its Higher Education Distinguished Teaching Award. Hutson also served as a teacher consultant and member of the Mississippi Geography Alliance based at the University of Mississippi.

The lecture series was established in September 1971 as the Mississippi College Humanities Lectureship. In 1974, the English Department renamed the lectureship “The Sue Price Lipsey Lectureship” in honor of her many years of service to MC. Lipsey joined the faculty in 1946 and retired in May 1974 after 28 years of service.

“In a world in desperate need of the humanities, I see it as our charge within English and World Languages, and the humanities in general, to offer programming that reminds us of each other’s humanity,” Melancon said. “We can be led by people of the past, like Mrs. Lipsey, who mentored students as they integrated our campus; inspired by people in the present, like my humanities colleagues who teach empathy through the stories of protagonists, historical actors and speakers of other languages; and be dedicated to people of the future, our students, who are challenged to take the gifts they have grown at MC and use them to serve God and others.”